From Page to Screen: The Duff by Kody Keplinger

Movie:

Normally, I read a book before I see an adaptation of it. In this case, however, I saw The Duff before I read it. Whether that skewed my opinion of the book, I’m not sure. Ironically, I had picked up an advanced copy of the book a few years ago when I was walking the aisles of BEA (Book Expo of America). In my over-eagerness for all the new books, The Duff was relegated to a pile that I never touched. It ended up getting donated to the local Goodwill. Fast forward several years. I found myself spending an evening at the movie theater with some fellow YA book club members to catch a screening of The Duff. My expectations were quite low, but I gamely went along on the group outing. Within the first ten minutes, I knew this was going to be a classic teen film that would grace my DVD library forever.

Unlike other teen movies where the ugly duckling is really a beautiful actress in baggy clothes and glasses, The Duff was more realistic (and I mean that in the best way). The entire premise of The Duff (aka the Designated Ugly Fat Friend) is that the D.U.F.F. in friend circles is not necessarily ugly nor fat; they are simply the least attractive out of all of the friends. So, they may really be attractive. This is another story about the labels that teenagers put on each other and realizing that those labels don’t define you. Everyone is more than a label.

May Whitman, known for her portrayal on the wonderful TV show Parenthood, is a petite, cute girl. As Bianca, her transformation is more about being comfortable as a young woman while retaining her intelligent personality. She may have a slight closet make over, but she never becomes “the popular girl”.

Robbie Amell plays a winningly charming Wesley. His grin is infectious, and his transformation from (sometimes) aggravating and a full-of-himself jock to a boy realizing personality is more important than looks draws the audience in. The chemistry between Amell and Whitman is also convincing.

The dialogue throughout the film is witty, of-the-moment, and not pandering to young teens. It had all of us cringing, laughing, and applauding. I call this film a combination of Mean Girls and Never Been Kissed. Definitely worth watching.

Book:

After enjoying the movie so much, I immediately went out and got the book. The book, written by an 18 year-old Kody Keplinger, is a little darker than the film. Aside from the similarities (Wesley telling Bianca that she is the D.U.F.F. of her friend group and Bianca actually believing it), the book presents a few deeper issues. It deals with a mother who leaves the family, a father who slides back into alcoholism, wealthy parents who neglect their children and are never home, and teenagers who loose themselves in sexual activities to forget their problems/make themselves feel better. The book is very much about teenagers who learn to love themselves for who they are while creating loving and stable relationships. Or, at least, that is what is supposed to be about…but it doesn’t quite get there.

Rather than Bianca and Wesley being neighbors slash friends as they are in the movie, they are strictly in it for the sex in the book. The innocent flirtations in the film that can appeal to the giddy tween in all of us, is lost in the book. I actually did not like Bianca in the book at all which makes the message of the story harder to pay attention to.

Overall, I’d say skip the book and watch the film. You’ll get the same message, but with a dose of fun. Plus, you’ll be grinning by the end and will want to watch it all over again.

Verdict:

Movie: A

Book: C

Photos Credit: Poppy / CBS Films